Apparatus and method for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack

Abstract

Disclosed is both a method and apparatus for delivering cooling air to an electronics rack in a data room in an energy efficient manner. The present apparatus provides directionally delivered cooling air to an electronics rack with usage rates up to 90%. The tiles utilize angled directional vanes for delivering the cooling air. The tiles both conserve energy and increase the overall possible power usage for each cabinet. The tiles greatly increase the cooling efficiencies in the data room and conserve energy.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for facilitating air cooling of an electronics rack of a data center, the apparatus residing within a raised floor of the data center wherein cooling air is conveyed from an under-floor cold air plenum, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one tile assembly for disposition external to the electronics rack, the assembly includes a frame supporting a plurality of spaced apart vanes for directing an air flow towards the electronics rack, and the vanes positioned and set at a fixed angle which is between about 25 to 45 degrees from a plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center and a support housed within the frame and connected to the frame and the support further supporting the plurality of spaced apart fixed vanes. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including the vanes positioned at an angle which is between about 30 to 40 degrees from the plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including the vanes positioned at an angle which is about 35 degrees from the plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tile assembly is disposed external to at least three electronics racks and providing cooling to the three racks to which the tile is disposed. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tile delivers between about 50 percent to about 90 percent of the cool air flowing from the tile from the under-floor cold air plenum to the electronics rack. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vanes have a first end and a second end, and the first end having a plane parallel to the raised floor of the data center whereby rolling loads may pass over the tile assembly. 
     
     
       7. A datacenter comprising:
 a sub-floor; 
 a raised floor constructed above the sub-floor so as to define a plenum between the sub-floor and the raised floor, the raised floor comprising a plurality of floor tiles, at least one floor tile comprising a tile assembly for disposition external to an electronics rack; 
 the tile assembly including a frame supporting a plurality of spaced apart vanes for directing an air flow towards the electronic rack and the vanes positioned at a set angle which is fixed between about 25 to 45 degrees from a plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center and a support housed within the frame and connected to the frame and the support further supporting the plurality of spaced apart fixed vanes. 
 
     
     
       8. The data center of  claim 7 , further including the vanes positioned at an angle which is between about 30 to 40 degrees from the plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
     
     
       9. The data center of  claim 7 , further including the vanes positioned at an angle which is about 35 degrees from the plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
     
     
       10. The data center of  claim 7  wherein the tile assembly is disposed external to at least three electronics racks and providing cooling to the three racks to which the tile is disposed. 
     
     
       11. The data center of  claim 7 , wherein the vanes have a first end and a second end, and the first end having a plane parallel to the raised floor of the data center whereby rolling loads may pass over the tile assembly. 
     
     
       12. A method of facilitating air cooling of an electronics rack of a data center, the method comprising the steps of:
 supplying a cooling air to the electronics rack, wherein the supplied air flows from an under-floor cold air plenum forced between a sub-floor and a raised floor; and 
 directing the supplied cool air to the electronics rack at a set angle which is fixed between about 25 to 45 degrees from a plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein between about 50 percent to about 90 percent of the directed cool air is utilize by the electronics rack. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein between about 70 percent to about 90 percent of the directed cool air is utilize by the electronics rack. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , further including directing the supplied cool air to the electronics rack at an angle which is between about 30 to 40 degrees from the plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , further including directing the supplied cool air to the electronics rack at a 35 degree angle from a plane which is perpendicular to the raised floor of the data center. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the supplied air is directed to a plurality of electronics rack via a single tile. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12  wherein three racks are cooled via a single tile.